Process for the expulsion of nicotine from tobacco



Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PROCESS FOR THE EXPULSION 0F NICO-TINE FROM TOBACCO William Wagner, Elyria, Ohio No Drawing. ApplicationAugust 8, 1934, Serial No. 739,003

1 Claim.

The object of my invention is for the chemical rectification of tobacco,rendering the tobacco completely free, or nearly so, from nicotine,pro-ving a great benefit to the general health of all tobacco users,because of the fact that the evil effects of excessive indulgence aredue to the poisonous nicotine.

It may be remarked that nicotine exists in tobacco in small proportion,a rapidly fatal poison, the percentage of nicotine in tobacco variesconsiderably, from 1.62% in Havana tobacco, 2% in Maryland tobacco, 6%in Virginia tobacco, and 8% in Kentucky tobacco. About 95% of thenicotine in tobacco passes over into the smoke. Nicotine is a colorless,or nearly colorless fluid, of an exceedingly acrid taste, entirelyvolatilizable, very soluble in water, strongly alkaline in reaction, andcapable of forming crystallizable salts with acids, it exists in tobaccowith an acid in excess, and in this state is not volatile. Tobacco alsocontains nicotianin, a fragrant, inflammable, crystalline principle,from which tobacco acquires its fragrance, and excellence. Theexcellence of tobacco does not depend upon nicotine, the less nicotinethe tobacco contains, the more excellent, the more nicotine the tobaccocontains, the ranker. The burning properties of tobacco are not impairedby my process, because the crystalline principle nicotianin is veryinflammable, and remains un-disturbed. The most important disturbancesproduced by nicotine, are in: the digestive, circulatory, andrespiratory organs, as a result of the disturbed innervation of theheart, palpitation, and other cardiac irregularities are common, and thevascular contraction is generally regarded as one of the causes ofarterial degeneration.

My invention relates to a process for the expulsion of nicotine,completely, or nearly so, from cured tobacco leaves, aged, or unaged,rendering the tobacco leaves denicotinated, completely, or nearly so,without impairing the aroma, flavor, or taste, and burning properties ofthe tobacco, from which denicotinatedcigarettes, cigars, chewing andsmoking tobacco could be produced, precluding denicotinated tobacco fromhaving any marked toxic effects upon the human system, such as: symptomsof tobacco heart, upon the respiratory organs, such as: cigarette cough,upon the digestive organs, such as: stomach disorders, upon thearteries, such as: arterial degeneration. Mediocre tobacco may bechanged to high grade tobacco with my process, because it removes thesour, rancid acid, and the bitter, sharp, pungent nicotine, rectifyingthe tobacco superlatively.

My process consists in placing cured tobacco leaves, aged, or unaged, ina chamber containing ammonia vapor, (length of time of exposure willdepend upon the grade of the tobacco, size of leaves, and quantity,) thepenetrating alkaline ammonia vapor immediately combines with the acid inthe tobacco leaves, forming a neutral salt, and isolating the nicotine.The tobacco leaves are then aerated, after which the tobacco leaves areplaced in a suitable 'volatilizing chamber, and under a canopy of someheavy fabric, such as heavy muslin, which has been saturated with U. S.P. acetic acid, the heat drives ed the volatile liquid nicotine, whichreadily combines with the n acetic acid on the fabric, formingcrystallizable salts of nicotin acetate, and preventing its return backinto the tobacco leaves. The acetic acid will also neutralize any freeammonia which may exist in the tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves arethen transferred to a chamber containing cool moist

